Once Upon a Time

Storytelling. It’s part and parcel of being human. From the time we start to understand language as toddlers, we experience the world through stories. We learn about right and wrong, how to get along with others and how to be human through the stories we hear. For the rest of our lives, we interpret what we see and hear through the story lens: “Once upon a time,” “Then this happened,” Then that happened,” “And the moral of the story is . . .” Whether through oral, print or aural techniques, stories help us make sense of what happens in our environment.

Not that anyone should have a reason to doubt the value of dynamic media tools such as Flash to build understanding of both simple and ridiculously complex subjects, here’s a terrific example of just how effective this emerging storytelling technique can be. In 11 minutes flat, Jonathan Jarvis explains what the credit crisis is and how the heck we got into this mess in the first place. Brilliant! This should be required viewing for everyone.

Here’s hoping we’ll see a similar animation this fall explaining how we got out of this mess so quickly.